Changing Ideopolitical Emphases in Moral Education in China: An Analysis of the CCP Central Committee Documents

With the understanding that moral education is interpreted as both ideological and political education in China, this paper attempts to look at the ideopolitical emphases in government moral education documents since the adoption of the open policy in 1978. The analysis will be focused on three particular aspects, namely (1) the changing perception of the role of moral education, (2) the changing emphasis on what moral education should achieve, and (3) how such change of emphases would reflect the changing social and political circumstances in China. In sum, this paper argues that government documents on moral education can be a significant indicator for tracking social transition in China.